Shinken Next: Beginning In Earnest
by Crystal Blue Montana
Summary: Another sequel in the "Shinken Next" arc!  This time, we move ahead a good number of years in the future.  Who are the 20th generation of Shinkengers?  Very brief Chiaki/Kotoha, plus appearances by most of their nakama.
1. A Day In The Life

**Shinken Next: Beginning In Earnest**

**All right, I'm throwing my hat into the ring with my take on the 20th generation of Shinkengers. I know there have been other stories that have addressed the subject, usually having the kids come back in time and meet their parents, but I wanted to go in a different, yet somewhat familiar, direction. Given my self-diagnosed weakness with creating new Gedoushu and Ayakashi, I've decided to write the 20th generation the best way I know how.**

**Since the timeline is about 20 years in the future, I decided to speculate on what sorts of future gadgets and goodies would be around during that time, which would explain the PSPNext, ****_Tekken 15, _and_ One Piece DX Mateys_. The current versions of the PlayStation Portable, _Tekken, _and_ One Piece_ are the property of Sony Computer Entertainment, Namco Bandai, and Eiichiro Oda, respectively.**

**Special shout-out to Casey's Cupcakes in Riverside, CA, whose May 2011 Cupcake of the Month, Ravishing Raspberry Lemonade, is so yummy and so cute that I had to write a version of it into this story. If you're near Casey's in either Riverside or Laguna Beach, CA this month, I hope you can stop in and try one. Her Luscious Lemon, Decadent Dark Chocolate, and Grandma's German Chocolate cupcakes are also winners.**

**_Omurice_ is a Japanese comfort food consisting of fried rice (often with ketchup mixed in) covered with very soft, often half-cooked, scrambled egg. _Wagashi_ is Japanese confectionery, which often has regional variations.**

**Jun Hanaori's teacher, _Hachisuka-sensei_, is an homage to the character of the same name, portrayed by Mokomichi Hayami, from the TV Tokyo drama _Hammer Session!_.**

**_Samurai Sentai Shinkenger_, all characters, and references are the property of Toei of Japan and TV Asahi. Original characters, including the 20th generation, are owned by me. Cocoa Otoko.'s "Soldier" is the property of Avex Trax. _America's Next Top Model_ is the property of 10x10 Entertainment and Bankable Productions. No infringement is intended or implied.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: A Day In The Life<strong>

"Again! 5, 6, 7, 8!" barked the choreographer. Five young would-be pop stars began to go through the steps of their latest routine. The choreographer watched the young men, observing their individual performances and critiquing accordingly:

"Tsukasa, pick up your feet! Ryuichi, would it kill you to smile? Come on, show those nice white teeth! Shogo, much better transition this time, thank you! Very nice, Tatsuo! Hiroyuki, what the hell are you doing? Everyone stop!"

The five young men stopped dancing, all of them breathing hard. "What's wrong this time?" asked Tatsuo.

The choreographer rolled his eyes. "Same problem it's been the last few times." He pointed a finger at Hiroyuki. "You're like an elephant trying to do the quickstep."

Hiroyuki bowed his head. "Forgive me, _Sensei._ I just learned this morning that my grandfather passed away. I'm trying not to let it affect me, but I don't think I'm doing a good job of it. I'm sorry." He turned and bowed to his bandmates. "I'm sorry!"

Tatsuo was the first to put his arm around Hiroyuki's shoulders. "Hey, hey, don't worry about it," he said gently. "Look, I'm sorry about your grandfather, all right?" Looking up at the choreographer, he said, "I think we should take five."

"I second that," said Ryuichi, standing on Hiroyuki's other side. Tsukasa and Shogo joined their bandmates in the group hug.

The choreographer sniffed disdainfully. "Oh boo hoo. Grow some balls and get over it."

All five of the young men looked at the choreographer with aghast faces. "Hey!" sputtered Tsukasa. "You want to at least pretend to be human for a second?"

"I know, right?" added Tatsuo. He looked at the other group members. "Come on, guys. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to put up with this." He ushered Hiroyuki out of the practice room. Shogo, Ryuichi, and Tsukasa followed, shooting disgusted looks at the choreographer, who began spouting off about if any one of them knew who he was and why they should care.

Outside of the dance studio, Tatsuo looked at his bandmates. "Someone remind me why we hired that guy?"

All the other young men shrugged, except for Shogo, who answered, "Your dad recommended him to us, if I remember correctly.."

"Yeah, well…" Tatsuo winced. "Okay, guys, I think maybe we should call it a day. We'll regroup tomorrow and see what we're going to do." After Ryuichi, Shogo, and Tsukasa bid their goodbyes and dispersed, Tatsuo turned to Hiroyuki. "Hey man, you want to go home, or maybe come with me to sit for a while someplace?"

"I… I think I'll hang with you for a bit. I'm not quite ready to go home yet."

"No problem. I think I know just the place."

Hiroyuki smiled gratefully at Tatsuo. "Thanks, _Tat-chan_. You're a pal."

"What are friends for?" Tatsuo fished his cell phone from his pocket and poised his finger over the call button for a moment before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dammit."

"What's wrong?"

"Dad's going to have a shit fit when he finds out we all walked out on _Maeshiro-sensei_." Tatsuo repocketed his phone. "Bad enough that he's already pissed at me for not taking up kabuki like him…"

Hiroyuki nodded. "Don't worry about it. Normally, your dad is pretty on the ball when it comes to who to go to for performance-related stuff, but I guess this time just wasn't one of those times. You know I've got your back on this, and I'm sure the other guys do, too."

"Yeah. Oh well. Dad's just going to have to accept that we just could not work with this guy." Tatsuo lightly slugged Hiroyuki's shoulder. "What the hell, man? Weren't you the one who was feeling down?"

Hiroyuki had to chuckle. "I'm still pretty bummed, but hey, doesn't mean that I can't cheer _you_ up if you need it."

Tatsuo grinned. "Heh. You're right as always." He clapped his hand down on Hiroyuki's shoulder. "Come on; it's still my treat at the café."

o-o-o-o-o

"Jun, Kei," called Mitsuba, "come in for lunch, both of you."

Kei Hanaori patted his son's shoulder. "Good work with the firewood, son. I think that's been the largest pile we've ever built up."

"Thanks, Dad." Jun wiped his face with a towel. He followed Kei into the cottage that was the Hanaori home. He inhaled deeply and sighed happily. "Mom, is that fried rice I smell?" he called.

"It is, dear." Mitsuba shaped a generous helping of fried rice into an oval shape on a plate. Cooking a scrambled egg until it was just set, she carefully rolled the melting-soft omelet out of the pan and on top of the rice. "I did say that I would be making _omurice_ today," she said, handing the plate to Jun.

"That's right; you did." Jun let out a sheepish chuckle. "How could I forget that you'd be making one of my favorites?"

Once Mitsuba, Kei, Jun, and Reiko, the youngest Hanaori, had their plates and were all seated at the kitchen table, they all gave a hearty "_Itadakimasu!_" and began eating. "So, Jun, are you excited about getting to go to Tokyo next month?" asked Mitsuba.

"I sure am," answered Jun. "Hopefully, I'll be able to find some time to go visit Uncle Chiaki, Aunt Kotoha, and the twins while I'm there."

"Why can't I go with you?" whined Reiko, as she chased a mushroom from her fried rice around her plate with her spoon. "I want to go see Uncle Chiaki, Auntie Kotoha, and the twins, too."

Mitsuba shook her head sadly, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Remember, your big brother isn't going to Tokyo for fun. He's representing Kyoto Prefecture in the nationwide math tournament."

"I may not even get to see them," admitted Jun to Reiko. "_Hachisuka-sensei_ runs a pretty tight ship, and he may not let us do much outside of the competition." He sighed. "I'll still call them, and I'll still try to bring them some of our local _wagashi_. I'm sure they'll all appreciate that, especially Aunt Kotoha."

"Maybe in a few weeks," said Kei, "we'll all go to Tokyo to see your aunt, uncle, and cousins. How does that sound?"

As Reiko screamed and jumped up in jubilation, nearly upsetting her plate of _omurice_, Jun chuckled. Though he always looked forward to visiting his relatives in Tokyo and enjoyed taking in the city while he was in town, he was content with life in Kyoto and had no problem with spending the rest of his life there. Reiko, on the other hand, had been mesmerized by the big city ambience and was anxiously waiting until the day that she would be old enough to move out and live on her own. He shoveled a bite of _omurice_ into his mouth. "You know, Reiko, I don't think you're as excited about going to see your relatives as you are about getting to be in Tokyo… am I right?" He jostled Reiko gently with his elbow.

"Shut up," muttered Reiko, shooting Jun a look.

"Now, now, Reiko, it's not nice to tell people to shut up," chided Mitsuba gently. "Please, sit back down and eat your lunch." She looked sharply at Jun.

Understanding the look that his mother gave him, Jun leaned over towards his sister. "Sorry about that. I know that you're not just looking forward to being in Tokyo again. You really do want to see your cousins again." When Reiko looked over at him, a small smile on her face, Jun smiled back and turned back to his food. "And you want to see what neato games Uncle Chiaki has, too," he added. Jun snickered and ducked the balled-up napkin that Reiko pitched at his head.

o-o-o-o-o

Misaki Tani burst into the den, where her twin brother, Daichi, was sitting on the couch and strumming his guitar. "Daichi! Did you take my PSPNext?"

"Why would I have your PSPNext? You know I totally suck at your games," answered Daichi simply. He tested a riff and, finding it to his liking, jotted the notes down on the paper in front of him on the coffee table.

"_Mou_, you're no help." pouted Misaki. "Mom! Where's my PSPNext?"

"I have no idea, dear. Is it not where you normally have it?" called Kotoha from the kitchen.

Misaki called back, "No, it's not. I put it away like I always do… at least I think I did."

At that moment, Chiaki came out from the study, Misaki's pink, rhinestone-emblazoned PSPNext in hand. "Here you are, Mimi. I borrowed it to test out the PSPNext version of _Samurai Quest_."

Misaki snatched her PSPNext from Chiaki. "Dad, don't you have people at the company that you pay to do stuff like that?"

"Sure, but why should those guys have all the fun?" Chiaki waggled his eyebrows at his daughter. "Besides, you're also the first of your friends to have what I've got in there. Go ahead, turn it on and see."

Misaki shot her father a look before turning on her PSPNext. Her eyes bugged out as she saw what was on the screen. "_Tekken 15!_" she shrieked. Misaki threw her arms around Chiaki. "Dad, you're the greatest!"

Daichi smiled at Misaki as he picked another quick riff on his guitar. It always amused him how excitable she got when Chiaki would bring home a yet-to-be-released game or some exclusive bit of company swag every now and again. He knew that Misaki was probably as equally amused at his joy when he was able to put together a new song.

Misaki whipped her head around to look at Daichi in bewilderment, recognizing the riff that he had just played as the opening music to _Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion_. "I didn't know you knew how to play that!"

Daichi just shrugged. "Dad taught me." Misaki shook her head and started for her room, seemingly ignoring Kotoha's announcement that dinner would be ready shortly.

"Hey, Mimi, get back in here. When your mother tells you dinner will be ready soon, don't you go hiding yourself in your room," Chiaki scolded. As Misaki slunk back into the den and plunked herself down next to Daichi, eyes pinned to her PSPNext screen, Chiaki turned to Daichi and grinned. "And that's my boy," he crowed, patting Daichi on the shoulder. "Chip off the old block." He headed for the kitchen to get a sneak preview of dinner. When Daichi began to play Cocoa Otoko.'s "Soldier," Chiaki turned around and said, "Okay, knock that shit off."

"Chiaki, dear, watch your language," admonished Kotoha, "You're not at work right now." She emerged from the kitchen with two plates of curry rice. "Misaki, Daichi, come and eat."

The twins, having caught the scent of curry, both sprang from the couch and jostled each other on their way to the dining nook. Kotoha shook her head at her kids as she set the plates of curry rice in front of them. Returning to the kitchen, she swatted Chiaki's hand as he was about to stick a finger into the curry pot. "You can't wait until you're served?"

Chiaki pulled Kotoha to him and kissed her. "Depends on what I'm being served," he purred mischievously.

"Chiaki…" Though her voice made her seem annoyed, Kotoha's eyes betrayed her amusement at and interest in Chiaki's amorous comment. She bit her lip flirtatiously before leaning in to kiss her husband, wrapping her arms around him.

Misaki, who could see her parents' carrying on from where she was sitting, grimaced. "Ew, Mom, Dad, no one wants to watch you guys make out," she groaned. Daichi sighed ruefully as he held up a hand to shield his eyes.

o-o-o-o-o

Ami Shiraishi was walking home from her job at the Tachikawa Kindergarten when she heard someone calling, "_Ami-chan!_" She looked across the street and her face brightened when she saw the perky girl who had just emerged from the restaurant known as L'Ebizou and was now walking briskly towards her and she waved vigorously. "_Ori-chan!_" She hugged her friend in greeting. "What do you have there?" she asked, looking at the small square box in the other girl's hands.

Oriane Umemori, known to her friends as _Ori-chan_, handed the box to Ami. "_Pour toi!_ I wanted to see what you think of this."

Ami lifted the lid from the box to see a cupcake topped with glittery pink frosting, tiny pink and yellow fondant flowers, and a yellow jelly starburst. The edge of the cupcake top was rimmed with pink and yellow sugar crystals. She smiled broadly. Oriane was quite skilled in making pastries and cakes, and every time she got a new idea for a dessert, she always gave Ami the first sample to try. "_Ori-chan_, it's beautiful! What flavor is this?"

"I call this 'Raspberry Lemonade Surprise.' There's raspberry puree in the cake batter, and lemon curd in the middle," answered Oriane. "I can't take all the credit, though. The lemon curd was actually _Maman's_ idea."

"In any case, it sounds delicious!" Ami put the lid back on the box. "I'll bring it home to share with everyone. You know, if this turns out just to be as good as everything else you've had me try, you really should consider opening your own cake shop," said Ami. "Surely you could ask your parents for help with that?"

"Heh… I don't know if I could, not yet, anyway. If anything, I'll ask _Maman_ and _Papa_ if they can feature a few of my creations on their dessert menu and see what happens. Before that, though, I'd like to make it to graduation!"

"Same here," groaned Ami. "After graduation, I don't know if I still want to continue working at the kindergarten or start putting together a modeling portfolio. You know, I kind of wish that they had that modeling show here like they do in Korea, China, and America. I'd so do it."

Oriane nodded. "You mean like _America's Next Top Model?_ Yeah, I've wondered why isn't there a Japanese version. I think you could totally rock it if there was one."

"You really think so?"

"_Mais bien sûr!_ I love your fashion sense, and everything you wear looks good on you! I think your mom could have been a model, too. Ditto for your dad."

"Thanks." Ami blushed. "I suppose Mother could have modeled if she wanted to. Father, though…" Her brow furrowed. "I just can't see it. I mean, Father, a model? I mean, yeah, he's good-looking for a guy, but…" Ami shuddered. "Ew! I don't want to think about it! This is my father we're talking about as if he were some sort of sex symbol! What if I said that I thought that _your_ father was hot?"

Oriane laughed. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to squick you out. And I do think that my dad's hot; nothing wrong with that. I mean, I love it when the girls at school get jealous when they find out who my dad is. And believe me, they're kind of envious of you, too, having a dad as hot as yours. Not only that, but _Maman_ had to have thought that _Papa_ was hot in the first place. She probably still thinks he is! But anyway, yeah, I think you could be a fantastic model, TV show or no TV show." Suddenly, her attention was diverted to her front pocket, from which she took out her smartphone. Seeing who was on the caller ID, she answered the call with, "_Oui, Papa?_" After a short conversation with her father, Oriane ended the call. "Sorry, but I have to run. We've got some VIP's coming to L'Ebizou tonight, and _Papa_ and _Maman_ are pulling out all the stops to make sure everything's right for them."

Ami nodded. "I understand. I won't keep you any longer. Tell your parents 'hi' from all of us and that we'll try to come to L'Ebizou this weekend. Oh, and thanks again," she said, holding up the cupcake box. After exchanging hugs, Oriane crossed back to the other side of the street and Ami continued on her way home.

o-o-o-o-o

A young man, his longish hair lightened to reddish-brown, walked through the gates of the Shiba House. Slipping his sneakers off at the front door, he called out, "I'm home." Getting no response, he headed for the kitchen, gently waving off the _kuroko_ who offered to take the bags that he had in his hand. Inside the kitchen, he saw a woman standing at the counter, her back to him, studying a cookbook. "Mother?" he asked, before opening the refrigerator to take out a bottle of green tea.

Mako Shiba started slightly and whipped around. "Masaru! Welcome back! I didn't hear you come in." She gave her son a quick hug.

Masaru hugged Mako back. "Sorry if I scared you." He chugged down half of the bottle of tea.

"What do you have there?" asked Mako, motioning to the bags in Masaru's hand. Masaru opened one of them to show Mako a new lens for his digital camera. Mako nodded in understanding. "That's for your field trip to Hokkaido, isn't it?"

"That, and you know that, one of these days, Ami's going to ask me to take some pictures so she can build up a modeling portfolio."

Mako smirked. "So she's still thinking about that modeling career, is she? That sister of yours needs to make up her mind." She tipped her head towards the other bag in Masaru's hand. "What else do you have?" His face reddening slightly, Masaru sheepishly revealed a copy of the latest _One Piece DX Mateys_ manga. Mako chuckled. "Oh, you're just like your father. You know, he wouldn't admit to it when he was courting me, but I found out that he had a huge stash of _One Piece_ manga in his study."

"Where do you think I started reading _One Piece?_" asked Masaru. He went to his room to put his new camera lens onto his desk, then went to the back steps of the Shiba House with his _One Piece DX Mateys_ manga in hand. The Shishi Origami unfolded itself as it leapt from the pocket of Masaru's jacket and began to frolic around him as he began to read.

Takeru was headed for the kitchen when he spotted Masaru with his manga and the Shishi Origami on the back steps. He paused just before he reached the porch and watched his son from a distance, smiling. _Even though he still has a great responsibility to bear, thank goodness he doesn't have to deal with what I went through, _he thought. _I'm glad that Mako and I decided to let him and Ami have some semblance of a normal life._ He felt someone come up next to him, and he looked over to see Sakutaro. The older man had a grim look on his face. "Sakutaro, what's the matter?"

Sakutaro bowed. "_Tono_, it's been confirmed. It's not what we wanted to hear, but what can we do?"

Takeru sighed. He looked back out at Masaru. _I hoped that we wouldn't have to come to this. _"Wait for my go to summon the others. I'll have Masaru go get Ami." After Sakutaro bowed and hurried back the way he had come, Takeru took a deep breath and called out, "Masaru."

Masaru turned to face Takeru. "Father?" He got up and walked over to Takeru, the Shishi Origami scampering behind him. Seeing the frown on Takeru's face, Masaru asked, "Something wrong?"

Takeru pulled out a set of car keys. "Go pick up your sister. It's time."

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><p><strong>Oriane, having a French-raised mom, does tend to sprinkle some French phrases into her everyday speech. <em>Pour toi=For you, Maman=Mom, Mais bien sûr=But of course, Oui, Papa=Yes, Dad<em>**

**I know that it's difficult for some people to envision their parents as young, attractive, and frisky, so I decided to have a little fun with the Tani twins getting squicked out by their parents' getting a bit saucy and Ami getting weirded out at the idea that her dad could have been a model when he was younger. Of course, the irony of Ami's unease is that Takeru's actor, Tori Matsuzaka, got his start as a model.**

**So what's the verdict? I appreciate your feedback!**


	2. Call and Response, Part 1

**Shinken Next: Beginning In Earnest**

**I apologize for taking so long between chapters. Work has been extremely busy, and in the midst of it, I also spent about a week in Las Vegas on vacation. That being said, thanks for the positive feedback on the first chapter! Y'all are awesome!**

**As some of you have guessed, the peace is about to be shattered.**

**Candy toys have been described as a sort of Japanese reverse Cracker Jack in which the toy is actually pretty nice for an inexpensive supermarket item (these include display figures, henshin devices, miniature plushies, and tiny playsets) and the candy, typically a single "fizzy candy" tablet, is incidental.**

**_Super Sentai, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger_, and all characters and references therein are the property of Toei of Japan and TV Asahi. Misaki Tani's PSPNext is inspired by the PlayStation Portable, which is the property of Sony Computer Entertainment. Mustang is the property of Ford Motor Company. Original characters, including the 20th generation, are owned by me. No infringement is intended or implied.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Call And Response, Part 1<strong>

Masaru's eyes opened wide and his heart felt like it would burst from his chest; Takeru never let him drive his classic Ford Mustang convertible unless it was a special occasion. "So it's happening, isn't it?" When Takeru nodded solemnly, Masaru cursed under his breath. "I'm scared, Father. I don't know if I can handle this."

"I know you can. Masaru, you are strong and capable. I'm sure that you'll be an excellent leader."

Masaru felt his eyes welling up with tears. "What if they don't respect me? I _am_ the youngest, after all."

At that moment, Mako came onto the porch and hugged her son. "My son, if you treat your teammates with respect, you should get it back from them in kind. Some of them will probably have funny ways of showing it, but they've all been trained to follow you."

"Mother." Masaru hugged Mako tightly. Reluctantly, he released her before lifting the car keys from Takeru's fingers. "If _Ori-chan's_ with Sis, should I bring her, too?"

"Definitely. She's just as much a part of this as the rest of you. Now get going."

"You got it, Father." Masaru ran for the Mustang and got in. He looked up at his parents nervously one more time before he started the car, turned it around, and drove out of the gates of the Shiba House.

Mako watched anxiously, clutching onto Takeru, as their son drove off. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispered, her voice choking up. "I thought I would be prepared for this the same way I was when it was our time, but it's different when you're the parent."

Takeru kissed the top of Mako's head, tears forming in his own eyes as he held her, still looking towards the open gates. "It doesn't seem real, does it? I was really hoping that our kids wouldn't have to fight, but we and the Gedoushu will never see eye to eye on anything, especially this. Come on." Takeru steered Mako back into the mansion. As Mako headed to the bedroom, Takeru called for Sakutaro.

"Yes, _Tono?_"

"I've sent Masaru to pick up Ami." Takeru took a deep breath. "It's time to summon the others."

"Yes, _Tono._" Sakutaro hurried away as Takeru went to the bedroom to comfort his distraught wife and begin the preparations for the new chapter of their life.

In the Mustang, Masaru waited until he was well out of his parents' sight before he wiped the tears from his eyes. _This is crazy! How am I supposed to lead a team of people I hardly know, outside of Sis and_ Ori-chan?, he thought. _I hope that these other people won't be able to tell just how scared shitless I am._ When he came to a stop light, Masaru took a deep breath and let the car's top down. "I have to be strong. For Mother and Father, for Sis, for my new team… for the world as we know it," he murmured. The light turned green, and Masaru, with the sudden injection of confidence, jammed the gas pedal to the floorboard, and the Mustang rocketed ahead.

o-o-o-o-o

At the Ikenami home, father and son were in the middle of a shouting match. "I don't believe you! After all the trouble I went through to get _Maeshiro-sama_ to take time out to help you guys out and you walk out on him?" Ryunosuke flailed his arms as he blustered at his son.

Tatsuo shouted back, "Look, I'm sorry I disappointed you. I suppose it's just the latest in a long string of disappointments for you where I'm concerned, but I wasn't about to let him talk to my best friend like that!"

"Sacrifices have to be made if you want to be a successful performer!"

"Do those sacrifices include my humanity and my soul?" Tatsuo folded his arms. "What happened when Grandpa passed away? You had to go on stage that night. Did someone tell you to grow some balls and get over it? Somehow, I doubt it, but that's exactly what _Maeshiro-sensei_ said to Hiroyuki!"

Ryunosuke's eyes opened wide. "He said that?" When Tatsuo nodded, Ryunosuke tapped his foot restlessly, not sure what to say next.

The silence was broken by Ryunosuke's wife and Tatsuo's mother, Kazumi. "Dear," she said as she entered the den, "I have to agree with Tatsuo. Do you really expect him to work with someone like Maeshiro? Truth be told, I don't much care for him myself."

"Dear!" Ryunosuke's eyes widened. "How can you say that? You've worked with him before!"

"Once. Look, I don't doubt that he's an excellent choreographer, but as a person, he's… well…" Kazumi set cups of tea in front of Ryunosuke and Tatsuo.

"He's what?"

"That one time I worked with Maeshiro was the last time. Not only was he rude, condescending, and a slavedriver, but I'll just say that he has a bit of a perverted streak in him." Kazumi sat down and began to sip her tea.

The blood drained from Tatsuo's face. "Mom, he didn't…?"

"No, he didn't. Oh, he tried, but he had another thing coming if he thought he'd be having his way with me."

Tatsuo was relieved, but still bothered by what his mother had told him. Ryunosuke's eyes were hard, and he slammed his hands down on the coffee table, startling Tatsuo and Kazumi. "I've heard enough!"

"Dad!" protested Tatsuo. "It's not Mom's fault that–"

"No, it's not," interrupted Ryunosuke. He stood up and looked at Kazumi. "I wish you'd told me sooner about that. If I'd known, I would never have recommended _Maeshiro-sama_ to anyone. I am ashamed that I have apparently argued needlessly with our son, caused unnecessary additional grief to Hiroyuki, and I am especially ashamed that I didn't give _Maeshiro-sa–_ I mean, Maeshiro, the beatdown he deserves for trying to take advantage of you!" Fists clenched, he stalked out of the room.

Kazumi chased after Ryunosuke, begging her husband not to act rashly, but he didn't seem to hear her. Tatsuo heard the front door bang against the wall as his father flung it open. _Can't say that I blame Dad for being pissed off. At least he's not on my case anymore about that asshole_. Tatsuo jumped up and ran to the front door and was surprised to find both his parents standing still just outside of the house. "Mom? Dad?" He followed their lines of sight to an arrow stuck on their front porch. Tied to the arrow's shaft was a paper tag with the _kanji_ for "gather" written on it. "What's that?"

Ryunosuke pulled the arrow out of the porch. He held it out to Tatsuo. "Your new calling. Looks like you won't have to worry about Maeshiro for the time being. You also won't be worrying about your pop group, either. It's time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"Surely you've at least retained all the knowledge of everything that I taught you about this." Ryunosuke reached into his pocket, withdrew the Ryu Origami, and held it out to Tatsuo.

Tatsuo's eyes went round and he shook his head. "No. No. No, not now! It can't be now! Why?" He clutched at his head in disbelief.

"This is not the time for arguing! The call has gone out; you must now go and be your lord's katana, just as I served Lord Takeru Shiba."

Kazumi nodded solemnly. "Your father has told me everything about what you'll be facing." Her eyes were shiny as she tried to blink back tears. "Be strong, Tatsuo. We'll have your stuff sent to the Shiba House."

_This can't be happening; not now! The guys need me! I can't walk out on them, not like this!_ Tatsuo felt like he was trapped inside someone else's body as he watched his hand reach out to take the Ryu Origami from Ryunosuke and heard himself ask, "Where's the Shiba House?"

"Ryu Origami will show you." Ryunosuke patted Tatsuo on the shoulder. "Don't keep your lord waiting. Your new life begins now!"

Tatsuo bowed to his parents, then hugged each one of them tightly and took one last look at them before he turned and began running. He had no idea where the Shiba House was, nor did he really care at that moment. He wasn't sure what he was more angry about; that he had to be born the son of a samurai, which meant that he had to drop everything and serve his lord when he called, or that his duty meant that he had to abandon his dream of becoming a pop star alongside his best friend. Thinking about who said lord was going to be, he sighed to himself, _I only hope that he's not some smug bastard like Maeshiro._

o-o-o-o-o

Daichi hitched his messenger bag up higher on his shoulder as he walked across the campus of the Tokyo University of Arts with his guitar case in hand. He heard a high-pitched voice calling his name and he sighed. _Oh crap, not her again!_

A bubbly girl with her hair in pigtails practically bounced up to Daichi. "Hi, _Dai-kun_!" she chirped. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, uh, hi Kaede." As much as he didn't want to, Daichi smiled politely at Kaede. _She's a nice enough girl, but I'm just not interested in her like that. Wish I knew how to let her down gently._ "I was, er, going to my guitar performance class."

"Ooh, sounds neat! Can I walk with you?"

Daichi struggled to find an excuse to rid himself of Kaede. Just when he was about to resign himself to having to walk with her, he heard another voice, rapidly gaining in volume, repeatedly calling his name frantically. When he saw the source of the voice, Daichi silently thanked the gods. Turning to the figure who was running up to him, he asked, "What's up?"

Misaki was nearly out of breath when she caught up to Daichi and Kaede. Addressing Kaede, she puffed, "Hey… Kaede… need to… talk to my… brother… now." She grabbed Daichi's wrist and practically dragged him off to a quiet part of the campus, leaving a puzzled Kaede staring after them.

Once out of view and earshot of everyone, Daichi twisted his wrist out of Misaki's grip. "What the hell, Mimi?" he demanded. "I mean, thanks for saving me from Kaede, but…"

"Shhh!" Misaki looked around before she produced an object from her backpack. "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is."

Daichi was stunned as he saw that Misaki was holding her PSPNext with a suction cup arrow stuck to its screen. Tied to the arrow's shaft was a paper tag with the _kanji_ for "gather" written on it. "I really hope it's not, but–" Daichi was interrupted by an identical arrow streaking down from the sky and affixing itself to his guitar case. He sighed resignedly. "Well, that confirms it. It's pretty much just as Mom and Dad told us it would be."

"Shit." Misaki yanked the arrow from her PSPNext. "What the hell are we going to do? We have classes to go to, and all sorts of other stuff! I have a life, damn it!"

"Well, kiss it and everything else goodbye for now. You know what Mom and Dad told us about this." Daichi exhaled a long breath. "And I was looking forward to graduating this semester, too. Come on. We need to meet up with our comrades." He peered from where he and Misaki were, then tipped his head. "Come on. Don't keep everyone waiting." Daichi took off running.

"Daichi!" Misaki sighed before running after Daichi. When she caught up to him, she noticed the smile on his face. As the twins sprinted to meet their new comrades, Misaki asked, "What are you so happy about? You can't possibly be happy about what we're going to be facing, can you?"

"What? No, not really. I'm actually scared out of my head."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"It'll probably be easier for me to avoid Kaede now."

Misaki shook her head as her gait slowed as she fumbled in her backpack for her cell phone. As Daichi began pulling ahead of her once more, she scrolled through her call log and pressed a button. "Mom? I just wanted you and Dad to know that Daichi and I love you very much. No, we're not in trouble." All of a sudden, tears began to spill from her eyes and her heart felt like it would explode. "Well… y-you remember all the stuff that you and Dad taught us about being samurais and stuff…?" continued Misaki.

Kotoha set down her kitchen knife. "Mimi, dear, have you and your brother been summoned by your _tono-sama_?"

Misaki was now crying in earnest. "Yes, Mom." She stopped running and slumped to the sidewalk. "Why is this happening now? We're supposed to graduate this semester! I don't want to delay that!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but that's just how it is. All I can tell you is good luck, and take care of each other. Your father and I will be with you in spirit every step of the way." Kotoha felt tears pooling up in her eyes. "You and Daichi are strong fighters, and your father and I couldn't be prouder of you. We know you'll do your _tono-sama_ proud," she managed to say. She could faintly hear Daichi in the distance yelling, "Mimi! What the heck are you doing? Come _on!_" Kotoha took a deep breath and said gently, "You'd better go with Daichi and not keep your _tono-sama_ waiting."

"We love you, Mom," wept Misaki. "Tell Dad we love him, too."

Kotoha wiped away her tears with a tissue. "I'll tell him. We love you kids, too. Stay strong, fight well, and we'll see you after the war."

Misaki dropped her hand, still holding her phone, and continued to cry. Daichi, who had run back to her, crouched down next to her. When he put his arm around her shoulders, Misaki grabbed onto him, sobbing into the shoulder of his olive green jacket. As much as he knew that they were needed, Daichi knew that Misaki needed his reassurance more at that moment. "Shhh," he said as soothingly as possible, setting down his guitar case to hold Misaki close and rub her back. "I know this is a lot to take in right now, but we have a job to do. All we can do is just do our best for our new lord and hope that we can bring peace swiftly back to the world." Daichi wiped Misaki's tears away. "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you, and you know that Mom and Dad are with us here," he said, laying one hand over Misaki's heart. When Misaki managed to smile a little bit, Daichi grinned, stood up, picked up his guitar case, and held his free hand out. "Let's go."

"Thanks." Misaki grabbed Daichi's hand firmly, and together, the twins resumed running.

Meanwhile, Kotoha had composed herself before dialing Chiaki's number. When he picked up, she felt the tears coming back, but was able to choke out, "Darling, our kids… they've been summoned to the Shiba House."

"I'll be home as soon as I can," was Chiaki's answer.

o-o-o-o-o

Jun sat in his room, going over some math problems. Mitsuba knocked on the door frame. "How's the math going?" she asked.

Jun looked up from his work and stretched. "It's going great," he answered. "I'm ready to take on that math tourney right now. For now, though, I think I could use a break."

Mitsuba nodded. "I'm making some tea, and your father and sister will be back soon from the market. We'll all have some nice tea and _dorayaki_ when they get back."

The thought of tea and _dorayaki_ made Jun's mouth water. He set his pencil down, stood up, and stretched once more before he left his room for the den. Shortly after, Kei and Reiko's cheery voices boomed as they came through the front door, "We're home!"

"Welcome back," Mitsuba and Jun called back. Jun stood up to take the grocery bags Reiko was holding. He carried the groceries to the kitchen and began to put them away. He set a package of _dorayaki_ on the counter before putting vegetables and meat into the refrigerator. He was about to toss the grocery bag in the trash when he spied a small box still inside. "Oh? What's this?" Jun withdrew a candy toy box labeled "Super Sentai HD Legendary Heroes" from the bag. The picture on the front of the box displayed a picture of several red Sentai warriors, with the picture of a pirate-looking red warrior as the largest, indicating that this was the figure inside the box. Jun smirked. "Hey Reiko," he called, "you, er, got a crush on someone?" He held the box out, waggling it.

Reiko turned to her brother and when she saw what he was holding, her face turned nearly as red as the suit of the Sentai warrior on the box. "Give me that!" she cried, trying to grab the box from Jun's hand.

"Hey, I was just asking," said Jun, holding the box out of Reiko's reach. Peering closely at it, he mused, "I'm a little surprised, though, that you're into the pirate. I thought you'd be into the samurai."

"Whatever." Reiko kept trying to unsuccessfully reach the box that Jun held away from her. "Give… me… my… Gokai… Red!"

"Jun, give your sister her toy," sighed Mitsuba exasperatedly.

Jun winked at Reiko before flipping the candy toy box into the air. He snickered as Reiko, after retrieving her prize, ran up and smacked him across the back.

"Reiko, Jun, both of you settle down," said Kei warningly, "or neither of you get tea and _dorayaki_." His warning immediately subdued both of his kids, and they meekly joined their parents in the den. The hubbub was soon forgotten as everyone began to partake in afternoon tea; conversation turned to the trip to Tokyo that Kei had brought up earlier. "I'll call your Aunt Kotoha and Uncle Chiaki tonight and see when's a good time for them." He picked up a _dorayaki_ from the plate in the middle of the table. Suddenly, an arrow flew in from the open window and speared the _dorayaki_ from Kei's fingers. The arrow's business end buried itself into the coffee table as Reiko, startled, screamed. "What the?" blustered Kei.

Jun's heartbeat felt like it was going at lightspeed. "What is this?"

Mitsuba studied the tag that was tied to the arrow. "Gather," she read aloud. She gasped. "Jun… your lord, the head of the Shiba clan, is summoning his vassals. It looks like you'll be going to Tokyo sooner than you thought."

"We're going to Tokyo sooner than in a few weeks?" asked Reiko excitedly.

Jun shook his head sadly. "No, _I'm_ going to Tokyo sooner. I have a job to do now. You know, the samurai thing." He jumped up from the coffee table and rushed to his room to gather his possessions for the trip.

Reiko pouted. "That's so not fair!" she griped. "Why does Jun get to go to Tokyo first?"

Kei pulled the arrow out of the coffee table. He slid the _dorayaki_ off it and laid it back onto the plate in the middle of the table, his appetite now gone. "_Rei-chan_," he said, "You know that Jun has been training all his life for this. We were all hoping that he wouldn't have to go fight, but it can't be helped."

Mitsuba nodded. "Jun isn't going to Tokyo for fun, sweetie. It's part of his destiny."

"I know it is," conceded Reiko, "but I just… I want us all to be able to go to Tokyo together."

Jun re-entered the den, bearing a large hiking backpack. "Reiko, I'm sorry. If it was up to me, I wouldn't be doing this, but it isn't up to me. I wish I could bring you, Mom, and Dad with me to Tokyo right now, but I can't. You can still go with Mom and Dad sometime, but until this nasty business is over, I won't be able to join you. I'm sorry." When Reiko began to cry and threw her arms around Jun, he hugged her in return, his own eyes tearing up. "Don't cry," he whispered.

The sight of their two children hugging each other goodbye moved both Mitsuba and Kei to sandwich them into a group hug and the entire Hanaori family stood together like that for several minutes, all with tears running down their faces. Mitsuba was the first to pull away, saying, "Jun, it's time."

Jun looked sadly at his parents and sister as he reluctantly gave each one a final hug before he turned and sprinted out the door. He dragged his jacket sleeve across his eyes._ I can't cry anymore, _he thought._ I have a job to do. My lord and my comrades need me. Speaking of comrades, I'll at least be joining up with Misaki and Daichi. Thank goodness; I just wish I wasn't so nervous about meeting new people. _

o-o-o-o-o

Ami was almost to the street corner when she heard the rumble of an old sports car engine fast approaching. She rolled her eyes. Every now and again, she would be minding her business on her way home when some arrogant young man would pull up in his jazzed-up car and offer her a ride. Ami would flatly turn down every one of the potential suitors because she knew better than to accept rides from strange people, so she ignored the driver honking his horn when he pulled up next to her. When the driver called her name, she turned her heard to give him a piece of her mind and was surprised to see that the car was her father's classic Mustang convertible and that the driver was her brother. "Masaru? What are you doing here? Does Father know you're driving his car?"

Masaru beckoned vigorously. "Get in! I'll explain on the way to L'Ebizou!"

"What? L'Ebizou? Why are we–"

"Will you just get in? We don't have much time!"

"All right already." Ami rolled her eyes, opened the door of the Mustang, and got in. Once she was buckled in, Masaru floored the gas pedal, U-turning sharply from the bus stop, leaving the evidence of his lawfully questionable driving on the asphalt. "Careful!" screamed Ami. "If Father saw what you'd just done, he'd ground you for a month at the very least!"

"I don't think he'd really care, given the circumstances." Masaru slammed on the brakes at a red light. He turned to Ami and explained, "Anyway, Father sent me to pick you and _Ori-chan_ up. He says it's time."

Ami was confused for a moment before she gasped in sudden understanding. "You mean…?" She began to rummage in her messenger bag and withdrew the Kame Origami from within. "Time for this?"

"Uh-huh." Masaru floored the gas pedal when the light turned green.

Ami screamed in terror. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, but like I said, we don't have much time." Masaru pulled to a stop in a space across the street from L'Ebizou. "You go and get _Ori-chan_. I'll wait here."

Ami nodded and hurriedly got out of the Mustang, leaving her messenger bag and cupcake box on the seat. As she quickly jaywalked across the street to L'Ebizou, she thought, _I can't believe we're actually going to be doing this. Poor Masaru… I know he's up to the task, but he's so self-conscious. I hope it doesn't get the best of him._ Ami ran inside L'Ebizou, past the hostess station and into the dining room. She scanned the room to try to find Oriane amongst the waitstaff, busboys, and kitchen helpers. She saw Jeanne-Mirai behind the sushi bar and called, "_Tante_ Jeanne-Mirai!"

Jeanne-Mirai spotted Ami and smiled, coming out from behind the sushi bar. "_Bonjour, Ami-chan!_" she responded. After exchanging kisses with Ami on both cheeks in greeting, Jeanne-Mirai sighed and said, I'm sorry, _Ami-chan_, but today's not a good day. As you can see, we're a little busier than normal."

"I understand; _Ori-chan_ told me about it earlier." Ami sighed. "Nevertheless, Masaru's waiting outside and we need to have _Ori-chan_ come with us."

"_Mais pourquoi?_ I'm sorry; you know I'm not trying to be difficult, but I kind of need Oriane tonight. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

Just then, Genta came from the kitchen. He appeared somewhat frazzled, but upon seeing Ami standing with his wife, he put on a cheery face. "_Ami-chan!_" he exclaimed. He took her into a friendly hug. "What brings you here tonight?"

"Uncle Genta." Ami bowed to Genta, then held her hand out with the Kame Origami sitting on her palm. "This. Masaru is waiting for us outside. They're back, Uncle Genta, and we need _Ori-chan_."

Upon seeing Kame Origami, Genta's face took on a serious look. He nodded, then turned to Jeanne-Mirai. "_S'il te plaît, mon amour._ Will you please get Oriane out here?"

"_Gen-chan…_" Jeanne-Mirai's eyes had a pleading look in them.

"_S'il vous plaît, Tante _Jeanne-Mirai," begged Ami. "I'd hope that you know what's at stake here. I understand that tonight is an important night for you and for L'Ebizou, but if _Ori-chan_ doesn't come with us now, there eventually may not even _be_ a L'Ebizou."

Jeanne-Mirai looked from Genta to Ami and back. She sighed, "I suppose I should have prepared myself better for something like this happening. I did marry Shinken Gold after all." She grinned at Genta before she hurried into the kitchen. A short time later, she returned with Oriane.

Oriane saw the serious faces on Ami and Genta. "_Papa_," she asked of Genta, "is it true?"

Genta nodded. "It is, _ma fille_. As long as you remember what all I taught you and what we worked on, you'll do fine. And even if Masaru is the lord, he's still the youngest of all of you, so you and _Ami-chan_ take good care of him and don't let the others push him around."

Oriane's heart was beating rapidly. "This could be fun," she said to Ami. "You and me, plus Masaru and the others… it's kind of exciting, isn't it?"

"Could be, but it's probably not going to be all fun and games." Ami turned and bowed to Genta. "We'll take good care of her." She exchanged cheek kisses with Jeanne-Mirai. "I'm sorry that we have to do this, but it can't be helped."

Jeanne-Mirai nodded. "I understand. Go out there and do your best." Hugging Oriane tightly, she whispered, "Be careful, _ma fille_. Take care of yourself."

When Genta hugged his daughter, he murmured, "Don't worry; we'll have your stuff sent to your Uncle _Take-chan's_… well, I guess it won't be his place anymore… we'll send it to the Shiba House."

Ami looked at Oriane. "Ready?" When Oriane nodded, Ami took a deep breath. "Well, this is it. Let's go." With one last wave at Genta and Jeanne-Mirai, the two girls ran for the front door of L'Ebizou.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter took way longer than I'd planned, both time-wise and length-wise, so the gathering of the 20th generation Shinkengers will continue in the next chapter.<strong>

**More French here! _Bonjour=Hello, Mais pourquoi=But why, S'il te plaît/s'il vous plaît=please, mon amour=my love, Tante=Aunt, ma fille=my daughter_**

**Reviews are, as always, much appreciated!**


	3. Call and Response, Part 2

**Shinken Next: Begining in Earnest**

**Apologies for another long delay. A story full of OCs is tough to write. Not only that, but my daily commute takes a lot out of me, and I'm also working on other things, too.**

**If the action seems a bit slow going, I apologize for that, too. As I've said before, I don't think I'm any good at writing action scenes or creating new Gedoushu or Ayakashi, but I will eventually give it the ol' college try.**

**Finally, the new team is coming together! I'm fleshing out the characters a little bit more here, so there will probably be a couple of instances where some characters (particularly Tatsuo) will display characteristics that had not been previously shown.**

**Yes, the Chiaki/Kotoha shipper that I am might have crossed the line a bit in this chapter. ^^;;; What? It's my story, and I can imagine whatever couples I want... nevertheless, _I will attempt to refrain from naming actual people_, but my fellow shippers will probably know who I'm referring to at the appropriate point in the story.**

**_Samurai Sentai Shinkenger _and all related characters and references are the property of Toei of Japan and TV Asahi. Mustang is the property of Ford Motor Company. Cocoa Otoko.'s "Hari Kiri Megami" is the property of Avex Trax. Original characters, including the 20th generation, are owned by me. No infringement is intended or implied.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Call and Response, Part 2<strong>

Ami and Oriane burst from the front door of L'Ebizou. After checking for any cross traffic, the two girls ran across the street to where Masaru waited for them in the Mustang. "Hey Masaru," chirped Oriane as she climbed into the back seat. "How are you doing? So this is it, eh? Must be if your dad let you drive his car, _ne?_"

"Hey _Ori-chan_." Masaru said over his shoulder. "I'm trying to deal with all of this, but I'm all right, I suppose. And yes, if Father says it's time, then it's time."

"We're sorry to take you away from work, but this is way more important than those VIP's that will be showing up to L'Ebizou tonight." Ami patted Oriane's shoulder gently before she got into the front seat of the Mustang.

"I understand. We were all born into this, so it can't be helped." Oriane pouted slightly. "Still, c_'est dommage!_ I was really looking forward to getting to rub elbows with the guys of Cocoa Otoko.. I still can't believe that those rock legends are the VIP's who are going to be eating at L'Ebizou tonight!"

"Really? Cocoa Otoko.? Oh," moaned Ami as she thumped her head back against the headrest, "why did all of this have to happen tonight?"

"I know, right? I had just found out myself who the VIP's were; _Papa_ had been keeping it a secret from me until just before you showed up! You know I would have called you if I'd known sooner." Oriane and Ami's conversation soon turned to chatter about the band members themselves, and how they were still envious of the actress/gravure idol who had married the band's guitarist quite a few years back.

Masaru smirked. _Those girls. Like they actually had a chance with the guy._ "Umm, I hate to break up this lovefest," he interrupted, "but could you help me look for the rest of our team?"

Ami giggled sheepishly. "Sorry about that." She shrugged at Oriane. "I suppose we'll have to continue this conversation later. We've got a mission to do."

"You're right. Still, I can't help thinking of what tonight could have been like. I so would have loved to have gotten to take a picture with _Sho-chan_, and with _Kei-chan_…"

Masaru had to smirk as Oriane continued to prattle on about what the evening would have been like had the Gedoushu not altered everyone's plans. _You know,_ e_ven though I rag on the girls for their obsession with those guys, I gotta admit that I'm a bit envious of whichever one of them got to marry _Suu-chan_… lucky bastard. I wonder if she's going to be at L'Ebizou tonight with… wait, no time for that. Must find the others._ Masaru blinked a couple of times before looking over at Ami, whose Kame Origami was turning aerial cartwheels on her upturned palm. "Looks like Kame's got a hit. Let's see who it is." He put the gas pedal down and the Mustang zoomed ahead.

o-o-o-o-o

Tatsuo had been running nearly non-stop for several blocks when his pace began to slow. He stopped running outside of a café in order to catch his breath. He was about to go inside to grab something to drink when a classic red sports car came up alongside him. Tatsuo looked at who was in the car; the driver was a boy with reddish hair, and his two passengers were a young woman with porcelain skin and long black hair and another young woman, whose blonde-streaked hair was styled into a bun on each side of her head. _Well, those two girls are cute_, he thought.

Ami put on a friendly smile. "Excuse me."

Tatsuo gulped. "Umm, hi. Can I help you?" asked Tatsuo.

"Are you from the Ikenami family?"

"How… how do you know?" Tatsuo asked, his eyes opened wide in surprise.

Ami flicked a finger towards the Ryu Origami in Tatsuo's hand. "Your Origami's a dead giveaway." She held up the Kame Origami and looked over at Masaru, motioning with her head for him to follow suit. Masaru fumbled in his jacket pocket for the Shishi Origami as Ami introduced herself, "I'm Shinken Pink, Ami Shiraishi. This is my brother, Shinken Red and the 20th Lord of the Shiba Clan, Masaru Shiba."

Oriane waved at Tatsuo. "_Enchantée de vous __connaître__!__ Je suis_ Oriane Umemori. Ah! I'm so embarrassed… I'm sorry; I can't help busting out _le Français_ when I get excited. I'm Oriane Umemori, Shinken Gold. What's your name?"

Tatsuo felt slightly lightheaded; he wasn't sure what to think of these people with whom he was apparently to team up. Nevertheless, he managed to stammer, "I-I'm Tatsuo Ikenami, er, Shinken Blue. It's good to meet you all." _So did she say that this kid is the lord? Seriously? He doesn't seem like an asshole, not yet anyway. And I really hope that I don't make an ass of myself with the girls._

Masaru nodded. "Please get in; we don't have much time."

Despite his reservations, Tatsuo got in the back seat of the Mustang. Only then did he notice that Oriane was still wearing her waitress uniform. "_Anou_, are you a cosplayer or something? I mean, you've got the Sailor Moon hair and the maid outfit…"

"What? Oh, this?" Oriane motioned to her uniform. "No, I was working at my parents' restaurant when _Masaru-kun_ and _Ami-chan_ came to pick me up. I didn't have time to change," she answered.

"Well, in any case, it looks good on you." Tatsuo grinned flirtatiously. "So where is it that you work?"

"Um, thanks." Oriane felt herself blush. "I work at L'Ebizou. I guess it's 'used to work' at L'Ebizou now."

"L'Ebizou? Really? I've been there before; how in the world did I ever miss seeing you there?"

"Um, Tatsuo?" called Ami behind her. "I appreciate your enthusiasm to get better acquainted with your new teammates, but, for the time being, could you and your Origami also keep your eyes open for the rest of our team?"

Tatsuo looked over at Ami, his face flushed. "Heh," he chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that." _Idiot! I was being a little too obvious, wasn't I? Damn it. I've never been good around girls, and now I have to live and work closely with two of them? Holy shit… this could be one really _long_ mission. _Tatsuo tugged uneasily on his ponytail as the Mustang shot forward.

o-o-o-o-o

With the Shishi and Kame Origami guiding him, Masaru turned the car onto a street within several blocks of the Tokyo University of Arts. "Apparently, we're supposed to run into another one of our comrades here," he said.

Oriane looked around. She spotted a young woman with her shoulder-length, asymmetrically cut hair streaked with strands of purple. She was running and holding hands with a young man whose auburn hair, slightly shorter than his companion's, was flipped out slightly. Despite the guitar case he held in his other hand, he ran as if unencumbered and actually seemed to be the faster of the two. She pursed her lips. "What do you think?" she asked, flicking a finger in the direction of the pair.

Ami squinted to get a better look, then watched as Shishi and Kame Origami somersaulted in mid-air. "I'm thinking you're on to something. Little Brother, let's pull up to them."

Masaru gunned the engine of the Mustang and drove up to the couple. "Excuse me," he called. Getting no response from either one, Masaru sounded the horn and called, "Hey, I want to talk to you."

Daichi turned to face Masaru. "What do you want?" he snapped. "We're in a hurry." Masaru and Ami both held up their Origami, which immediately changed Daichi's demeanor. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He turned to Misaki and nudged her. "This must be him; our new lord."

Misaki gave the car's occupants a quick glance-over. "Huh," she said. "I take it you guys are our new comrades, then?"

"Wait, what do you mean, 'our'?" asked Tatsuo. "Which one of you is the one joining us?" _I kind of hope it's the girl, because she's _really_ cute, but I'm kind of hoping not, because that'd be one less girl to look stupid in front of. _

Misaki and Daichi looked at each other. Smiling conspiratorially, each of the twins reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out identical Kuma Origami and held them up. "That would be both of us," answered Misaki.

Ami nodded proudly, her eyes lighting up with recognition. To Oriane, she said, "Good eye, _Ori-chan!_" She then turned to Misaki and Daichi. "I thought so! You're the twins from the Tani family! Father and Grandmother had used the Shiba family House Disk Double on your Origami many years ago!"

Daichi nodded and bowed his head in greeting. "I'm Daichi, and this is Misaki. Shinken Greens at your service."

"Yeah, what he said." Misaki smirked.

Ami, Masaru, Oriane, and Tatsuo each introduced themselves. "It's nice to meet you both," said Masaru, jerking his head towards the back seat of the Mustang. "Please get in."

Misaki and Daichi looked at the back seat, then at each other. "Well, how the hell are we going to do this?" asked Misaki, noticing that there was only one seat available between Oriane and Tatsuo.

"You're welcome to sit on my lap," Tatsuo offered, winking at Misaki. Inside, he scolded himself. _Ugh! You did_ not _just say that! Real smooth, dumbass. She probably thinks you're a complete retard now._

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "Um, I'll take a pass, but thanks anyway." She turned to Masaru. "Hey you, uh, what's your name, uh, Masaru? Do you mind if I just sat on top of the seat back?"

"Mimi!" hissed Daichi under his breath. "Did you just call the lord 'hey you'? Oh good grief." He bowed to Masaru. "I apologize for my sister. She's, er, she can be a bit too direct at times."

Masaru shook his head. "Don't worry about it. As for sitting on the seat back, I'd rather you not. This is my father's car, and I don't think he'd appreciate it."

"What if you sat on _my_ lap?" asked Daichi.

"I guess I could do that."

Daichi nodded at Tatsuo to move over. Tatsuo tried to smile as pleasantly at the twins as he could before he motioned to Oriane to move over as well.

As the rear seat passengers played musical chairs, and Daichi loaded their gear into the trunk, Misaki sized up everyone in the Mustang. _What's with Sailor Moon in the back seat? Does she work at a maid café or something, or does she always dress like that?_, she thought._ Not that there's anything wrong with that. Mr. Rock Band's kind of hot, but what was with the 'you can sit on my lap' business? What a pervert. I do kind of remember the two in front from a long time ago. Masaru's a cute kid, but he looks like he's going to barf, poor thing. And I simply must know where Ami gets her nails done. Those are pretty bitchin'!_

Meanwhile, as he sat down in the back seat of the Mustang and struggled to work Misaki onto his lap in the tiny space, Daichi thought, _This is an interesting group. Mom and Dad did say that Lord Masaru was younger than we were, but he's younger than I thought he'd be. Maybe that's why Ami's doing most of the talking. Oriane looks like she'd be great friends with Mimi. Speaking of, I should probably keep an eye on Tetsuo, Tatsuo, or whatever Mr. Rock Star Wannabe's name is. I don't like the way he was looking at her. I know she can take care of herself, but all the same…_

"So that's all of us, right?" asked Tatsuo.

"Not so fast," interjected Daichi. "There's one more coming; our cousin Jun. We'll need to get to the train station immediately, my lord. He'll probably have taken the first available train out of Kyoto."

Masaru fidgeted uncomfortably. "You can just call me 'Masaru.' I'm not used to all this 'lord' stuff. Anyway, train station it is." He pulled the Mustang away from the curb.

"There are seven of us?" Tatsuo was bewildered.

"Duh!" answered Misaki. "Weren't you listening when Daichi and I said that we were both Shinken Green? And we still need a Yellow; that's where Jun comes in." She rolled her eyes. _All beauty and no brains. Awesome._

Ami looked up at the rear view mirror to observe the motley group in the back. Misaki, sitting on her brother's lap, wore a slightly sour expression that Ami couldn't decide was because she was upset with being summoned or just exasperated with Tatsuo. Daichi was anxiously trying to peer around her at the road ahead as the car headed for the train station and Tatsuo just looked uneasy. Oriane was the only one who seemed excited about facing the… what was it they were going to be facing? Was it an ordeal, a mission, a calling? Whatever it was, Ami sighed, worried about whether everyone could come together as a cohesive unit. She turned to Masaru. "How are you holding up, Little Brother?"

"I'm scared shitless," Masaru replied. "I knew this was going to be tough, but I wonder; was it like this when Mother and Father answered the call?"

"From what I know," said Ami, "Uncle Chiaki wasn't very enthusiastic at first, and I think he and Father nearly came to blows. Aunt Kotoha was loyal and respectful from the beginning, though. It would seem that Daichi takes after her, and Misaki's a bit more like Uncle Chiaki. Tatsuo's kind of a surprise; I mean, Uncle Ryunosuke was dedicated to serving Father the best he could. Maybe a bit too dedicated, to hear Father tell it, but I'm not seeing the same from Tatsuo right now. Uncle Genta didn't join everyone until later, but he was determined to serve, even if Father wasn't okay with the idea at first."

"I think I remember Father saying something about that; he didn't want Uncle Genta to put his life on the line for a lie or something like that." Masaru sat up as the Mustang approached the train station. "Here we are."

At that moment, Misaki's cell phone began to play Cocoa Otoko.'s "Hari Kiri Megami." Frowning, she tapped it on. "Hello? Jun! Hey, where are you? We just got to the train station. Wait, you're where?"

Jun glanced quickly back at Takeru and Mako, and at the _kuroko_ who seemed to be watching him intently. "I'm, er, at the Shiba House," he replied nervously, wiping a moist palm on his pant leg. "Where are you and Daichi?"

"For the love of…" groaned Misaki. "We just got to the train station! Damn it. No, no, it's okay, really. We'll see you in a bit. Stay where you are; don't go anywhere." She disconnected the call. "Our goofy cousin is at your house," she remarked to Masaru.

Masaru nodded. "I guess this makes things easier. Hang on, everyone."

"Little Brother, don't you–" started Ami, but Masaru had already jammed down on the gas pedal. The now-overloaded sports car rocketed forward, its occupants screaming in both exhilaration and terror.

o-o-o-o-o

Jun sat on the front steps of the Shiba House, fidgeting nervously. He had tried to settle his nerves by playing a sudoku game on his smartphone, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead and the fact that, in addition to his cousins, he would have to bond quickly with four people who were more or less strangers to him made him unable to concentrate. He had boarded the first available train from Kyoto to Tokyo and, once he arrived, headed straight for the Shiba House and was surprised to find that neither his cousins nor any of the other Shinkengers, not even the lord, were present.

Jun hadn't bargained on being the lone Shinkenger at the Shiba House, and he especially hadn't bargained on running into Takeru and Mako, but not long after he had entered the gates of the Shiba House, they were hurriedly leaving the house. Behind them were several _kuroko_ bearing large suitcases. After Jun had steeled himself to look Takeru and Mako in the eye, introductions were made between the 19th Head of the Shiba clan and his wife, and the 20th Shinken Yellow.

_(flashback)_

_"Your aunt was a formidable Shinken Yellow," said Takeru proudly, "which convinces me that your mother would have been just as powerful, if not more so, had she been able to serve. Because of this, I have every confidence in your abilities, Jun, and I have no doubt that you will serve Masaru, and all of humanity, well." Sensing Jun's anxiety, Takeru smiled. "It's fine to be scared. Truthfully, I think Masaru is more scared than you are. Just remember that you won't be alone in this mission. You will already have your cousins with you, and I'm sure that you'll soon bond with the others."_

_"Please help Ami take care of Masaru," added Mako, her eyes sad. Jun nodded, shook Takeru's hand, hugged Mako, then watched them as they hurried from the gates to a waiting taxi, the _kuroko_ with their luggage closely behind them._

Now what?, _thought Jun. _Am I supposed to just wait here for everyone? Maybe I should call Mimi and Daichi. _He took his phone from his pocket and found Misaki's cell phone number._

_(end flashback)_

Suddenly, Jun heard a low growling rumble approaching the gates. He stood up with a start, wondering if things were rapidly heading south without him. His heart, already feeling like it was playing the drum solo from "Wipe Out," seemed to beat even faster as the rumbling got louder. He was startled by an older red sports coupe, packed with people, roaring into the front yard. He recognized one of the riders, who seemed to sit up higher than the others. "Mimi?"

"Jun!" Misaki leapt from her seat on Daichi's lap as soon as the Mustang came to a stop and ran to hug her cousin. "Hi! It's so good to see you!"

Relief enveloped Jun like Misaki's arms did as he hugged her back. "You don't even know. For a moment there, I thought that you guys had to start without me!" He reached out to clasp Daichi's hand in greeting, and Daichi began to introduce Jun to the others. Upon the formal introduction to Masaru, Jun dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "My lord, I'm honored to make your acquaintance!"

Masaru scratched his neck nervously. "Um, you don't need to do all of that. And just 'Masaru' will be fine." He sighed as Daichi helped Jun to his feet.

Sakutaro came from inside the house with a tray. He gave the newly-assembled Shinkengers a once over before he nodded at Masaru. "Young Lord, are these the new vassals?"

Masaru nodded. "What do I do now?"

Sakutaro held the tray out. On it were four Shodophones. "I trust that you, Lady Ami, and Miss Oriane have yours?" After Masaru, Ami, and Oriane held up their phone/henshin devices, Sakutaro said, "Then you must present your newest vassals with theirs."

Masaru picked up the four Shodophones from the tray. _Holy shit. This really is it. I'm going to lead these guys into whatever the heck it is that's out there. Okay, here goes._ Turning back to face Tatsuo, Misaki, Daichi, and Jun, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Now that we are all gathered, I, er, ask that you protect me as we go forth against the threat that faces us all, and in return, I want you to entrust me with your lives. This has to be something that you guys want to do, not something you feel like you have to do because of tradition, loyalty, and all that. I know that Ami and _Ori-chan_ are with me." Masaru nodded at his sister and her friend as he called each of their names, receiving a resolute nod in return from both. "What about the rest of you?"

Daichi was the first to answer. "I'm with you, Lor–, I mean, Masaru." He looked at Misaki and gave her a nod as Masaru handed him one of the Shodophones.

Misaki returned Daichi's nod, then nodded at Masaru. "Me too, Masaru. The Tani twins are here for you." After Masaru gave her a Shodophone, she smiled and gave him a slight curtsy.

Jun bowed his head. "My lord, I mean, er, _Masaru-sama, _I'm, um… I'm honored to be in your service!" he barked. When Masaru put a Shodophone in his hands, Jun dropped to one knee with his head bowed low once more.

Everyone chuckled at Jun's formality. Misaki patted Jun's shoulder. "You really need to loosen up," she remarked, poking him in the arm and motioning for him to stand back up.

"Well, er, this is all so…" Jun chuckled, his anxiety dueling with his composure for dominance as he pushed himself up. _Breathe, Jun, breathe._

"And what about you?" asked Masaru, looking at the one person who had yet to commit to the mission.

Tatsuo looked uneasily from one face to another as they all awaited his response. "Well, if truth be told, this is a lot to take in. I mean, my band and I just…" he started.

"Tatsuo, you're taking too long. Cut to the chase. Yes or no?" Masaru folded his arms and put on his best resolute face.

Tatsuo's face wrinkled slightly. _What did he say to me just now?_, he thought. _Is he pulling rank on me or…? Shit, I just can't tell. I should just play nice at least for now._ He cleared his throat and croaked out, "Yeah, count me in."

Masaru wondered for a split second whether Tatsuo really was in or if he was just paying lip service, but, feeling like he had no choice for the moment, handed the last Shodophone to Tatsuo. He looked at each of his team members and thought, _Well, here goes nothing._ "Let's go," he announced. A small army of _kuroko_ streamed from the Shiba House, some with Shiba clan banners in hand and one beating on a drum, and began to usher everyone towards the battlefield. Ami and Oriane rushed forth without hesitation, dragging a frightened Misaki with them. Jun and Daichi, after being momentarily startled by the appearance of the _kuroko_, nodded and let themselves be led, but Tatsuo instinctively jerked his arm out of the grip of the one _kuroko_ who tried to grab him. When Tatsuo took a swing at another _kuroko_ who tried to guide him, several more closed in on him. One _kuroko_ each grabbed the now-loudly protesting Tatsuo's limbs and carried him out of the gates of the Shiba House. Masaru shook his head and sighed as he followed the procession.

* * *

><p><strong>One self-conscious teenage boy + his model-esque older sister + her bubbly best friend + one snarky yet sensitive college girl + her equally sensitive but more level-headed twin brother + the twins' highly intelligent but socially anxious cousin + an aspiring pop star with control issues, among other things = the 20th generation!<strong>

**And still more French! _c'est dommage_=it's a shame, _enchantée de vous __connaître=_pleased to meet you (written as _"enchantée"_ when the speaker is female; when the speaker is male, it is written as _"enchanté"_)_,__ je suis=_I am**

****I sure have lofty hopes for Cocoa Otoko., don't I? Honestly, I don't know if they'll ever be as big as SMAP, X Japan, or L'arc-en-ciel, but I do hope that they stay popular enough for a good while to come. ^_^****

**Shinkenger, _mairu!_ Wait... that's the next chapter.**

**If you're still with me here in the midst of all the delays and the lack of shippy moments, I would love to have your thoughts on what I have so far! Thanks for reading!**


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